


Black Sheep

by Jick



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Betrayal, Comfort/Angst, Enemies to Friends, F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, Follows Close To Canon, Gen, Love/Hate, M/M, Manipulation, Multiple Pov, Not Official But We're Hinted, Original Character(s), You're My Best Friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-26 15:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7580482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jick/pseuds/Jick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Did you honestly believe that you could be a hero? That just by bringing in a ragtag team of washed up daydreamers and the world would suddenly love you? How stupid can you get? And I should know because I was one of you."</p><p>Those words rang truer to no one else but to Jesse as he watched his world crumble in front of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The salty air filled Jesse’s nostrils as he leaned forward on the railing of the flight carrier. He had only wanted to air out the smoke from his cigarillo but decided it’d be best just to watch the water glide underneath him. The fresh air would do him some good. His hat and serape were tugged gently by the air currents passing by as he inhaled heavily and let a smoke trail pass his lips at his next breath.

_It’s been too dang long Winston. Why now?_

He nibbled at the butt only to lose his train of thought when he heard metal clashing against metal. He looked over his shoulder to see Genji approaching him with a light tread. He wasn’t quite sure if Genji was looking at him or past him.

“Sorry, did I disturb you?” Genji stopped in his tracks.

Guess that answered his question. “Not really. Jus’ thinking that’s all.”

Genji approached the railing, taking the same position as Jesse and looked out the windows before them. There was a stillness between them and the horizon they were gazing at seemed to go on infinitely. The sky was a hue of orange with violet chasing not to far behind and the waters kept a steady ebb and flow rhythm underneath. It was almost too peaceful. Like a happy ending to a movie to which Genji shattered the illusion first.

“Do you think everything will be different when we arrive, Jesse?” he asked solemnly.

Jesse took the cigarillo out of his mouth and scrunched his face. Funny, he didn’t remember it tasting this bitter earlier. He turned to gaze at Genji, who did not take his eyes off the skyline. The green visor gleamed dimly clashing harshly with the sky and ocean colors. Jesse sighed and looked back at the sea, flicking the remainder of the half used cigarillo out the crack of the window. The ocean floor underneath them soon became a cliffside of rocks followed by a flat plane that bore the Overwatch emblem. The engines of the plane became a harmonized roar and the carrier slowly began to descend. Scratch that peaceful feeling it was unmistakably a war movie. Jesse suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

“Well Genji, your guess is as good as mine.” The cyborg finally matched Jesse's gaze, and the cowboy chuckled darkly. “And I don’t think I would be on this plane if I had the answer.”

The carrier's door opened with a _fss,_  and the two men approached the edge, waiting in anticipation. Construction lights flashed brightly in their direction, and Genji and Jesse shielded their eyes from being blinded, but it did not stop robust arms pulling them into a crushing bear hug followed by a hearty laugh.

“My friends! It is so wonderful to see you again!”

Genji let out a pained grunt as Jesse managed to wiggle his prosthetic out and lift his hat off his head. Immediately an overwhelming sense of sentimentalism hit him, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Reinhardt let out another roll of laughter and released both men. Genji landed perfectly on his feet while Jesse staggered a bit then placed his hat back on his head. It didn’t stay there long. A small frame tackled Jesse to the ground at full force, and his hat flew off. He grunted at the impact of his back hitting the ground and his head rested on the concrete. Lena only flashed a bright smile as she saddled on top of his thighs and pinned his shoulders down.

“Jesse, I can’t believe it’s really you!”

The cowboy strained to lift his neck. “And I can’t believe that you tackled me to say hi.”

Lena sheepishly pulled herself off him and helped dust him off. She then hastily bent over and picked up his hat and handed it to him apologetically, cringe when he snatched it out of her hands tipping it on his head.

“Now,” Jesse drawled, “come ‘ere and give me a proper hug.”

Their reunion was better than Jesse had imagined. He had been replaying this scene over and over in his head since the recall, but the actual feeling of holding the real person was nothing compared to thoughts. Lena was still notably light, but she was still a ball of energy. And although there were noticeable crow lines and skin drooped on Reinhardt’s face, his overall demeanor screamed youth. The way Genji flustered when Lena embraced him into a hug was pretty much how he expected the poor guy to react. What he wasn’t expecting was Törbjorn coming out in a “Kiss the Cook” apron in bold pink letters. Jesse made a snide comment during their handshake, and the Sweden swatted him away grumbling with a smile that he hasn’t changed a bit.

They quickly reacquainted themselves for what seemed like an eternity and the sky dimmed.

“Well, we mustn’t waste any more time,” Reinhardt urged, balancing some of the carrier’s cargo on one shoulder with ease. “You two are the last to arrive that have responded to the recall. Winston was expecting you earlier, but after realizing that you two were not in the same state made it a bit harder for us to get the proper transportation.” He eyed Jesse. “Especially for you since you’ve been hiding under the radar.”

The cowboy grinned coyly. “Aw shucks, you guys having trouble already because of little ol’ me? You makin’ me blush now.”

Törbjorn rolled his eyes, and Genji nudged Jesse’s shoulder with a fist. His visor flashed to what Jesse assumed was a smile.

“Don’t let your ego get too big. It’s not even the first mission yet, and you’re already getting cocky.”

“That’s right Jesse! Save it for later.” Lena was smiling from ear-to-ear.

Jesse’s grin widened. “Hey come on guys, who would I be if I couldn’t give myself a pat on the back once in awhile.”

After dropping off the cargo in the supply room, the group entered the mess hall to see that their plates had already been prepared. From the smell of it, it was Törbjorn’s Swedish meatballs, and boy did Jesse miss those. He scanned the room for no reason in particular only to find relief at the same time.

 _Guess the news wasn’t lying about it all these years_ , he thought solemnly. 

“Jesse,” a voice hummed.

Hearing the voice swept sent goosebumps racing down Jesse's spine and his neck hair stood erect. He caught a glimpse of thin, white hair cascading but didn’t see the actual person cradled in for a hug. Without her armor, she was just a shy away from his chin, but her arms were able to fully wrap around Jesse’s neck as she sank into the hug. Jesse wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off the ground and twirled her effortlessly which earned a youthful chuckle.

“And look not a hair out of place. Boy am I glad to see you. Dr. Ziegler.” He planted her smoothly on the ground and flashed a smile.

Angela cocked an eyebrow and the corner of her lip curled. “ _Dr. Ziegler?_  My Jesse, I never knew you could be so formal. It’s almost blood chilling.”

Jesse managed a snort. “Well, I just figured since it’s our first meeting in so long I’d keep it formal. From here on out it’s just going to be Angie, is that alright doc?”

She tipped his hat and gave a wink. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Angela asked Genji and Jesse how they were doing physically to which both responded they were doing well. Their mechanical parts may need some tune-up but other than that they were fit as a fiddle. The members then sat at the table chatting away idly catching up with their latest stories, earning some loud gasps or rolling laughter. They haven’t even noticed that their food has gotten cold. Their chatter was then interrupted when Winston entered the room, and everyone eyed him with full attention. Jesse then remembered why he was here and the sense euphoria of his reunion became sour.

“Uh, hello everyone.” Winston cleared his throat nervously and adjusted his glasses. “It is wonderful to see you all again. I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t expecting you come to considering you responded to my recall and—”

The tension was immediately lifted from the room, and there was a collective consolation smile. Jesse cradled his chin in his hand. _Good ol’ Winston. Trying to keep it professional as always._

Winston's introduction dragged on for what seemed like forever. He and Athena were giving a briefing about how their first mission would be tomorrow morning at 0600, and it would be a simple escort mission of supplies. Their client was Mei-Ling Zhou, a formal Overwatch Climatologist that had responded to the recall as well but decided not to rendezvous at Gibraltar just yet. Angela’s eyes peaked with joy when she heard the name saying that she’s she’s happy to hear that Mei is okay. Last she heard was that there was a horrible blizzard at the Antarctica base, and the scientists were trying their best to survive the storm. Winston explained to Angela that although it is a good thing that Mei was alive her coworkers did not make it causing Angela’s smile to falter.

Jesse zoned out during the explanation. His thoughts wandered into the past where he would be going through similar briefings with the same group minus a few members. He chewed on his cheek and his right index finger twitched. _It really doesn't feel right being in this room again with these people or without those guys._

It didn’t take long for him to notice his name being called out and he refocused back at Winston only to recognize that all eyes were on him. He stifled a hesitant laugh.

“What is there somethin’ on my face?”

Lena grinned, and Winston grunted gruffly. “As I was saying, _Agent McCree._ ” Ah using code names. He must’ve have been daydreaming during an important part. “Although this recall is active we must stay under the radar. The Petras Act is still running, and we could be in severe trouble if we get caught.”

Jesse leaned back in his chair and crossing his boots on the table spurs jingling. “Look, partner, if you’re looking to stay under the radar you shoulda just asked me.”

There was a group sigh along with Lena bursting into a laugh followed by Winston pinching the bridge of his nose with a worn groan. “That’s what I was just asking. I figured since none of us had no way of getting direct contact with you, you would have an idea on how to help stay hidden.”

Jesse clicked his tongue and smiled sheepishly followed by an apologetic “my bad.” Across the table, Genji eyed him.

When the meeting had finished, Jesse grabbed his belongings and headed directly towards his quarters. He told everyone the jet lag had finally caught up, and he did not have the spirit to speak to anyone the rest of the night to which everyone responded with their “Goodnights” and “It’s great to see you again.” He wanted to shower. After being on the run for so long, he figured the first thing he would do was scrub off the past week. Following not too far behind was Genji, who kept a steady pace behind. Jesse stopped in his tracks so did Genji. The cowboy turned around lazily to face him.

“Somethin’ on your mind, Genji?”

“Sorry again my friend,” the cyborg started. He tried to keep his voice flat to hide to the concern. “I couldn't help but notice that you’ve seemed to be distracted today. You didn't even tell everyone that we kept in contact and that you were meeting me in the states.”

Genji’s head was tilted, and the visor was a lighter green almost as if worried. Jesse wished he would take that off once in awhile so he could see the guy’s facial expressions.

“Darn, I forgot to tell them? Sorry, must’ve escaped my mind.” There was a playful warning in his tone as if suggest to the ninja to not delve further into the topic. He was tired and didn’t have time to clarify why he didn’t explain something that seemed so minimal. “People always complaining I’m too forgetful or lazy. Guess it’s been awhile since I’ve had any social interaction, and my laziness evades even me now.”

Genji inched closer. “Well that may be true, but it seems like your impassiveness may be a bit more than usual. Even for you." Jesse's face soured. Was that suppose to be a compliment? "So as your friend, I worry about you. Tell me now, is everything ok?”

Jesse almost flinched at the hand on his shoulder. He looked directly into what he thought was Genji’s eyes and sighed. _Look… I'm just having a lot of emotional relapses of this place. I just need to take it one day at a time._

Or at least that's what he wanted to say, but was it really that important?

“Yeah, I'm okay. Just a lot of thinking lately.”

Genji dropped his hand and bore his visor at Jesse. The way the light glared made him feel like he was being scanned through a lie detector test. He had nothing to hide, though. Even if he did, he wouldn’t tell Genji. He wouldn't even know where to start. Possibly from the beginning, but from which beginning?

An image of a tan, bearded man holding him by the scruff of his collar, eyeing him angrily mouth curled with disappointment entered his mind. The man released his shirt and told him to get out of his sight. Jesse continues to believe he thought he saw the man almost cry when he left the room. The image that followed was another man smiling wistfully at him, blond hair sticking to his skin from sweat. He offered Jesse a handshake telling the cowboy that he always had a home with the organization. Jesse recalls the feeling of surrealism that day as his throat tightens. The final image that passed was a newspaper article he managed to catch while on the run: “National Tragedy! Overwatch Officially Disbanded?” Underneath that section was something that made his heart plunge and stomach twist. Names of the deceased and two names he prayed he wouldn't read.

The sound of hot air passing through a ventilation system broke Jesse out of his trance. He noticed that it was the sound was Genji sighing. The cyborg walked passed him and continued down the hall not even turning around to give a second glance. A twinge of guilt settled in Jesse’s stomach. Maybe the thought of not being able to satisfy Genji’s curiosity really bothered the cyborg. For whatever reason that may be Jesse would never know why.

When Genji was out of sight, Jesse continued to walk towards his room and approached the doors a lot quicker than he thought. It glided open with a _hiss_ from the sides, and he entered the dark room. The moonlight penetrated through a small window giving enough light for him to scan the walls and was surprised to see that nothing was touched, and yet everything was preserved. Winston probably programmed the AI’s to clean each room and handle delicate items with extra care. He walked towards his bed, chucking his duffle bag on the ground and collapsed face first with exhaustion. The scent of fresh linen mixed with metal filled his nostrils. Looks like that shower was going to have to wait. He rolled onto his back and exhaled deeply.

_Everythin’s still the same. Just like how I left it on that day._

A half used moon clip sat on the side dresser next to his zippo and old, stale cigarettes, his serape laid unevenly on the wooden chair that hasn’t shown signs of use till now, and bottles of liquor which were still filled with unfinished contents from many years ago lay neatly in a line.

_And yet._

Jesse turned his head to look at a corkboard. It was ordained with photos of people from both Overwatch and others unfamiliar with the organization. String and push pins were dangling everywhere connecting a few profile pictures to certain locations, and bright red circles were drawn around cut-outs of a map. His eyes wandered to a photo at the bottom right corner. It was colored brightly and a banner with the wording “Congratulations” in the background. In the foreground, was himself along with Törbjorn, Lena, Winston, Angela, Genji, Reinhardt and—

He mentally paused. He did not want to think of their names. He doesn't even remember the last time he thought of them, and yet he's thought of them three times in one day. Not wanting to continue on and yet forcing himself to keep going. Maybe he was a masochist, perhaps there _w_ _as_ something wrong with him. He sat up and peeled away the first photo to reveal a hidden one. Its corner was frayed and had a sepia color scheme instead of the vibrant one, but it seemed to have more of an impact on Jesse than the first. Winston, Lena, and Genji were no longer in the photo and were replaced by three others. A caramel colored woman who stood confidently almost smug, a burly man with an almost shaved head save the middle which was raised similar to a rooster’s comb, and a girl who seemed to not belong in the picture due to her white dress contrasting their grungy uniforms. Jesse exhaled sharply through his nose, shut his eyes, and threw himself back trying his best to put his thoughts to bed as fatigue consumed him.

_And yet it’s not._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and thank you for your time for reading my first chapter! This story has been on my mind for awhile, and I was hoping to put this finally onto paper. This story will mainly focus on Jesse's POV, but at certain stages in the story, the POV will shift to other characters. This isn't necessarily a shipping story, but there will undertones of potential "interest." This story will hopefully be part of an ongoing series in which I will write about pairings, but for now, this is the setting stone for that series. Also, I'd like to thank AllytheMusicFreak, AceFromOuterSpace, and copperpatina for beta reading my first chapter I would not be here if not for you guys! 
> 
> What to Expect From This Fic  
> \- Lots of Angst  
> \- Lots of Canon Inspiration and Allusions  
> \- Original Characters  
> \- Fluff Moments(?)  
> What Not To Expect From This Fic  
> \- Smut


	2. Chapter 2

Making it to Nepal wasn’t a problem for Jesse. It was the process of waking up to get to Nepal that was difficult. Long-forgotten had been the days that he had to wake up and go through regulations. He had not missed the drills to ensure the mission would go efficiently with all the checkups and the preparations. After a needed shower, he trudged across the hangar as Lena kept next to him with a spring in her step, joking that she loved his walking dead camouflage. Reinhardt didn't help when his booming voice stirred Jesse's already thinning patience. The knight smacked his shoulder almost dislocating it right out of its socket which was the icing on the cake. They accompanied Genji and Winston, who were busying loading supplies, and Törbjorn was filling the carrier with gasoline. Angela was his only savior who mirrored his miserable enthusiasm. She brought them coffee to which Jesse was thankful for and drank it with a soft satisfied hum. He had forgotten what good coffee tasted like.

The flight itself wasn’t that bad. There was the occasional ping from Lena on the overhead to remind everyone to make sure they were buckled in—to which Jesse purposely ignored, and everyone else was either trading more stories or sleeping. It didn’t take long for Jesse to shut his eyes and drift into a needed slumber. When they had finally landed, he instantly pulled out a cigarillo.

The town they entered was all but deserted. Tattered flags whipped lazily under the cold breeze, and satellite dishes perched off some roofs. Jesse humored himself and asked if it was even possible for them to get satellite tv up in the middle of nowhere. Mei-Ling was waiting patiently under a flag and offered them coats and a pair of gloves. Genji politely refused the gesture saying that temperatures don’t affect him like before to which Jesse snatched his share of gloves in a "more for me"  attitude. Snowball, to which Mei described was the name of her drone, chirped happily as Mei thanked Winston for coming to her aid in restocking the monastery. Genji noticed that they were heading towards the temple of his master and was excited to see him and even more excited to see that everybody was going to meet him.

As they began to load the truck, Jesse's body shook under his serape as small clumps of snow entered his boots. He grudgingly chewed on his cheek since he got hounded by Angela for smoking to which led him to prematurely snuff out his smoke.

“Is it pick on McCree day or somthin'?” Jesse grumbled under his breath, plucking the last box and placing it on the bed of the pickup.

“Only if you want it to be,” a voice chimed playfully.

Jesse looked beside him to see Mei-Ling approaching with soft steps. Her winter coat puffed as she wrote something down on a clipboard, taking count of all the cargo. Her plump cheeks pinked with a solid blush (whether it was from the cold or from being next to Jesse, he didn't know.) She smiled warmly at the cowboy. Jesse never had the pleasure of meeting the scientist before his decommission, but from the time they landed till now she’s been nothing but a lovely host and that’s all he needed.

“Well, Ms. Zhou. Hopefully, everything is in place for you.” Jesse yanked at the end of the tie down till it clicked and jumped off the truck. Snow crunched underneath him as he slapped the truck bed, signaling that everything was clear.

Lena turned the keys in the ignition and the truck roared to life as the wheels disappeared underneath it and round blue lights began to push against the ground. Just like they had planned: Reinhardt was stationed in front of the truck, Lena was designated driver and Angela appointed passenger. Genji and Winston were to stay by the sides while Törbjorn remained in the bed with the supplies turret mounted on top. Jesse was posted in the back not that he minded. He preferred being in the rear since it helps him focus when situations went grim. It was a slow start, but eventually, the group began their incline. Mei decided to walk beside Jesse.

"Yes thank you McCree, and please call me Mei," the scientist insisted.

Jesse tipped his hat in acknowledgment and smiled.

"Don't mind if I do Ms. Mei." The scientist's expression faltered a tad, and Jesse caught on swiftly. "I mean Mei."

The two continued to chat about the cold weather, and Mei explained that one time in Antarctica, it got so cold that her skin froze to the toilet seat to which Jesse only gave a pity laugh. Jesse would then tell her stories of modern society and catch her up on some of the terminologies that she missed while in cryostasis. Her eyes would light up at certain parts but the majority of the time Jesse noted that she looked like a deer in headlights.

“Is it hard?” Jesse asked a bit more serious than he intended to. He pulled out a hidden cigarillo from the inside of his coat pocket mentally keeping count of his stock.

Mei continued to look forward, ignoring the tone in Jesse’s voice. “Is what hard?”

Jesse pulled out a match from the same pocket and lit the cigarillo. He was pretty upset when he realized when he left his zippo on the dresser back at base. He took a long drag, and his shoulders dropped. “You know, being back into an almost different timeline. Must be some culture shock.” His voice softened, light-hearted and genuinely curious.

Mei stopped in place which was then followed by Lena stopping the truck and everyone looking behind with concern.

“Everything alright Ms. Zhou?” Winston asked as he approached her.

Jesse lifted a hand and stopped Winston from coming closer. The gorilla cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

“Yeah, everythin’s fine. Just dropped something. Go on ahead, we’ll catch up.” Jesse smiled almost too sweetly.

Winston, hesitant at first, decided to leave whatever happened to Jesse. He leaped back to the truck and ordered Lena to keep moving to which she happily complied. He then looked at Jesse with a nod. “Make it quick” was how it was read.

_Believe me, I would like to be quick but I don’t even know what happened._

All Jesse figured was that he hit a sensitive spot because Mei was no longer smiling.

“You know, Jesse.” Mei began looking at the ground, touching her toes together. Her voice was soft, icy. Jesse had told her that since she was on a first name basis, she should do the same for him, but he wasn't expecting the first time she would say his name it would be so cold. “Seeing all the things happening all around me and not exactly knowing what they mean at times is a bit strange, scary even.” She turned and looked at the cowboy with a smile that sent a cold shiver down Jesse’s spine. “And you know what? I can't help but think at times that I actually don't belong here. In this timeline.”

Jesse’s heart sank. He didn't mean for the little lass to reopen any scarring wounds. He had only intended to learn more about her, but he should have figured with that luck of his it would have turned out this way. Every time he tried to do good it always had the same result: him being the bad guy. It was his curse to never be the hero even if he pretended. Even though he was part of the golden group Overwatch his title was Blackwatch. The blemish in Overwatch’s history. The cigarillo suddenly tasted bitter.

Mei began to start walking again, and Jesse followed in silence like a whimpering pup with its tails between its legs. He was afraid that if he were to say anything it was would come off as rude—insensitive. The rest of the walk was left in silence.

 

—

 

The group was greeted by omnic and human monks wearing _kāṣāya_ of red and yellow and were escorted to the inner walls. The scent of burning incense tickled Jesse’s nose, but not enough to overwhelm. It was earthier compared to the jasmine from the village. Winston announced that the mission was successful and that all they needed to do was unload the truck. From there they’ll have to walk back to the carrier and write their reports.

Jesse began to organize the supplies when he noticed Genji approaching him with an omnic monk hovering by his side. The omnic's chest was bare revealing his mechanics and wiring like an intricate puzzle. He sported a yellow _antarvāsa_ and a red waist cloth as nine mechanical orbs encircled him like a necklace yet never touching the actual body. Everyone started to gather around Genji.

"This is my master, Zenyatta." Genji beamed proudly as he gestured to the omnic. "He has helped me find inner peace and find acceptance in myself that I have been struggling to find for many years."

Mei bowed politely, and everyone followed suit.

"It is an honor to meet all of you." Zenyatta’s voice hummed with the robotic buzz, but there was almost a human touch behind it. He gracefully brushed his sandals on the ground and shook everyone's hand. "Genji has told me quite a lot about you and your organization. He was also telling me how excited he was for me to meet all of you and I could see why."

Everyone blushed bashfully and tried to hide their swelling pride that was glowing from their chests. Zenyatta then looked at his student.

"Now my pupil, I must thank you and Ms. Zhou for bringing our people supplies. When you had told me that your organization was reforming and that you could help us in shape or form, I wasn't expecting this quick of a response."

Genji's visor flashed. "It is no problem, Master. I have a debt to you and as a Shimada, I must uphold that debt. But I do have a question, how is it that you know Ms. Zhou?"

Mei had begun to explain that while she was on an expedition in Nepal that she had recently saved a group of endangered animals while testing out her new gear. It was there that a few omnics had approached her and asked if she was a special agent of some sorts. She told them that she was actually part of an organization called Overwatch to which they responded: "Oh like Genji?"

"And the rest is history," Mei finished with a smile.

A group acknowledging _oh_ danced around as Zenyatta returned to his hovering stance. The monk then offered as thanks for the supplies that they were free to spend the night at the temple instead of traveling back down the mountain. Although Winston tried to deny the gesture, Angela and Jesse managed to convince the gorilla to agree.

Night soon came, and everyone was gathered around the table as humans were served their nighttime meal mainly consisting of vegetables. Jesse eyed the food with discontent but ate it anyway. He wasn’t one to complain about a home cooked meal, but he was still pretty much a meat and potato kind of guy. As dinner was beginning to wind down, Winston gathered everyone and gave a debriefing commenting that although the mission was successful they will need new members soon. He was considering to start breaking into groups and go on simultaneous missions, but with their lack of recruits, it would be challenging. He mentioned that he had a few candidates to press but offered the group to encourage others to join as well. _As long as they can bear the Overwatch name, proudly they're alright in my book_ was his only request.

Genji placed his empty bowl and chopsticks on the table then thanked for the meal. He then apologized to the elders for his friends talking during dinnertime, but their conversation would be almost over to which the elders waved their hands dismissively. He then cleared his throat drawing everyone’s attention.

“I-I may have someone.” Genji’s voice was staggered, hesitant but Winston’s attitude didn’t show any signs of acknowledging it.

“Do you now? How exciting, will they be able to come in soon?”

“I do not know for certain, but I can ask him.”

Angela shuffled in her seat. “ _Him_? Genji you’re not suggesting inviting-”

“Oh but I am Dr. Ziegler.”

Angela’s lips curled into a hard line, and Jesse noticed. He then nudged Lena, who was still stuffing her cheeks with daikon radishes who then nudged Törbjorn, who was struggling to put his chopsticks down with his claw, and Reinhardt’s eyes followed the trail as he daintily put his chopsticks on the table afraid the toothpicks might splinter in his finger.

"Well, now Angie seems like you're against Genji's friend joining our little shindig. Care to tell us why? Ain’t like you to keep secrets." Jesse pressed curiously with a sing-song voice. He grinned devilishly. _Dangle the carrot if front of the rabbit. Works every time._

Angela threw daggers at the cowboy knowing his intentions, but Genji interrupted her before she could say anything.

"Well, I feel like the doctor has plenty of valid reasons for me not to invite my brother." He throws a glance at Angela. "But I can assure you Dr. Ziegler that my brother and I in the process of making amends, and I feel like this may be our best option."

Suddenly Jesse’s smile dropped and his eyes darted towards Genji. Everyone blinked in unison almost in disbelief.

"YOU HAVE A BROTHER?!?" Lena all but flung herself at Genji, forgetting the bowl in her hand and mouth full of food. Her outburst earned some disapproving glares, and a few hushes from the surrounding monks. She ducked her head and muttered an apology as everyone huddled closer.

"You have a brother?" Jesse parroted softly.

Genji chuckled in response as if expecting this result.

Reinhardt crossed his arms across his chest eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why haven't you ever told us?"

Genji admitted that he never told them about his brother because he was ashamed of his past, especially since Overwatch considered his family a public enemy. He also revealed that when he was feeling the conflict within himself, he didn't feel like it was right to tell his friends about his old life, but now that he has found inner peace now was a good time to reveal it.

Genji had begun to share his life as a Shimada from the pampered, playboy lifestyle to the illegal trades his father did as a crime boss. He told them that the death of his father put a gap on his connection with the clan, and his relationship with his brother became strained. He recalls long night arguments with his brother that always seemed to end with no results, and even days without even speaking to him. He remembers a few days that were now unmistakably failed assassination attempts on his life. He then tells them the story of how he and his brother got into a death match and how his brother struck him down with a sword with no remorse. Mei's eyes widened with disbelief when she heard how Genji was saved by Angela considering how mangled he described himself when Overwatch had found him. Törbjorn had commented that he remembered seeing Genji in the ICU and thought that he had to get ready for another funeral. An eerie silence entered the room when Genji had finished his story.

Everyone's face appeared grim and a bit hesitant to say anything. Jesse began to tap his finger on the table, wrapping all the information in his head and attempting to understand Genji's logic for inviting his brother, but instead, all that came out of it was anger.

"So you're saying you want to invite your sword swinging, kin killin' ass brother to Overwatch?" Jesse seethed through his teeth. Angela threw a warning glance and hissed his name warily as if to request not to provoke any further.

Genji sighed. "When you say it that way, it sounds like a terrible idea."

Winston pushed up his glasses as his face scrunched with skepticism. "I must admit, he does seem a bit...much. Are you sure that you would want someone who essentially killed you on our team?"

Genji bowed his head in thought and went silent. His visor seemed to vibrate as the green became a lighter shade. He then brought his chin up balling his hands into a fist on the table.

"I am sure of it. I wish to invite my brother into Overwatch."

It was Jesse's turn to stir in his chair. He leaped from the bench slamming his hands on the table earning a startled wince from Mei. He received the expected glares and hushes from the nearby monks, but his thoughts were consumed with numerous questions that he ignored them.  His eyes were wild and his chest puffed. Reinhardt kept a steady hand on the cowboy's shoulder making sure he wouldn't do anything rash.

"Why the hell would you want to invite him? To me, he sounds like he'd be willing to kill all of us if someone told him to." Jesse gestured with his whole body not filtering the volume in his voice, but the monks have decided to give up at this point and move to a separate room for meditation. "And there's nothing I hate more than a backstabber, especially with kin."

Angela's eyebrows perked but decided not to say anything.

Zenyatta, who kept a watchful eye on Jesse's body language, folded his hands in his laps.

"Young Jesse." Jesse gawked at the omnic monk in confusion. _Young? You're at least eighteen years younger than me from my understanding. I should technically be calling you the young'un._ "Although it is evident that you seem to struggle with Genji's offer it is not your choice in the end. It's not even Genji's decision in the end. At the end of the day, it will be Genji's brother's choice of whether or not he wants to join Overwatch. So even if you do not accept him, if his brother decides to join you must acknowledge the fact that he will be part of your organization."

Everyone’s eyes lit up then dropped with shame knowing that, that comment wasn’t only directed at Jesse. They didn’t even give the poor guy a chance. Jesse chewed in lip in defeat. He knew that Zenyatta was right he just didn't want to have Genji regretting his choice if things went South. Although he hasn't admitted it to the cyborg, he considers Genji like one of his own, and it would break his heart to see the guy condemn himself for something that wasn't truly his mistake.

Everyone watched as Genji stood from his seat and took his sword off his back and placed it on the table. He then knelt on the ground with slow, precise movements as if he was cautious not to wake the dead. His hands slid towards the tops of his knees as he pressed his face close to the ground, squaring his shoulders into a flat plane. He inhaled sharply.

"I am aware of the possibility that my brother may be problematic, and I accept full responsibility for him, but I ask of this as a fellow member and a friend." He paused, recollecting his composure. It was evident he was working to hide the desperate plea in his voice."Please reconsider my offer. I know my brother appears to be a lost cause, but I sincerely believe that Overwatch may be his saving grace."

Genji kept his head pressed low, and his body seemed to sink even deeper in the bow. Mei mumbled his name under her breath holding a fisted hand close to her chest. Reinhardt couldn't help but offer a faint smile for Genji's remarkable display and Törbjorn only scratched his beard with his claw. Lena was already excited and had a clear answer to his request as her smile gave her away. Angela looked at Jesse, who wore a conflicted expression, then at Winston, who only grunted and shrugged his shoulder in a defeated acceptance. A silent group decision.

"Genji," the doctor cooed softly. The cyborg lifted his head at the sound of his name as Angela breathed heavily through her nose. "Although I am very reluctant with this choice, I would be more unsettled knowing that I couldn't help a patient out who was in need of saving."

Genji rose from the bow with excitement, but he kept his professional stance. His back was rigid, straight as a pole, but it was apparent that he wanted to jump for joy.

"Thank you, everyone!"

He stood on his feet and shook everyone's hand in gratitude. Reinhardt and Lena were the most obvious ones of willingness to accept his brother as the shook his hand with such vigor that his entire being shook. Törbjorn and Mei were more neutral in their reaction saying something along the lines of: "well at least things will be exciting." Angela and Winston voiced their opinions saying that they're going to keep an eye on him but are excited to see a potential new member. And when he got to Jesse, he flashed bright green, almost neon. He was glowing. Jesse scratched the back of his neck and sighed in defeat. At least he was happy.

"Look just cause your brother might be joining us don't mean I'm gonna let him off the hook so easily. Just know I'm doing this for you."

Genji gave a light laugh. "Well, at least that's a start."

 

—

 

Everyone began to head towards their designated rooms exhaustion filling their bones. Jesse decided to take this opportunity to smoke his last cigarillo for the night. He stepped out into the brisk night cursing at himself for forgetting his coat on the bench. His serape covered the bare minimums, and his hair stood at ends and goosebumps slowly crept on his skin. The night sky was painted with stars and constellations flickering brightly and complementing the snow appointed mountains. A calm swept over him. Although he was trembling in his boots and teeth chattered immediately when the cigarillo left his lips, Jesse wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.

The sound of snow crunching behind him took him by surprise, and he looked over his shoulder to see an omnic monk approaching him. He had a hard time figuring out if it was Zenyatta considering all of them looked nearly exactly the same, but upon closer inspection, the omnic was draped with more clothing than Genji's master. Unlike Zenyatta's square forehead, this omnic's forehead was diamond-shaped filled with nine dots to which Jesse had always assumed was similar to the Indian Bindi. It's gold and white _kāṣāya_ blended with the snow as it kept its hands neatly folded behind its back. Jesse couldn't help but think that this omnic looked familiar, but it's named has escaped his mind. The omnic approached his side looking out at the mountains.

"Hello," it said acknowledging Jesse’s presence. The omnic's voice was a small hum and sounded more human than Jesse has ever heard from an omnic. It was more youthful than Zenyatta's, and it carried a sense of importance with it.

Jesse tipped his hat. "Howdy."

The two remained silent as Jesse inhaled, devouring his cigarillo. The smoke filled his lungs with a warm sensation as he held his breath to maintain that Zen feeling that enveloped his muscles. His mouth tasted of nicotine, and his lips buzzed when he exhaled. Euphoria stung his skin as he finally managed to hit a relaxed state.

The omnic spoke. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

Jesse took the cigarillo out of his mouth with his index finger and thumb and gazed at the omnic. It was still looking out onto the view. Jesse then walked towards a nearby boulder and sat down. He figured if there was going to be a conversation he might as well get comfortable.

"Yeah, it is. Nothin' like the sky at home, though. Pretty as a picture, if I do say so myself."

The omnic laughed. "Really now? I am now quite curious as to where your sky that you speak of is from."

"Sante Fe, New Mexico."

"Ah I see, and what brings you here to our humble monastery in Nepal?"

"Well, a little birdie told me that my old gang was getting back together, and I decided to see what the ruckus was about."

The omnic went silent. Oh was their conversation over already? The omnic then looked at Jesse, and the cowboy was unsure what kind of expression it was wearing. _I see_ was all that it said. Another silence loomed over, and Jesse was almost finished with his smoke.

"Young man," the omnic addressed. Jesse's interest piqued when the voice that called him out was serious. "I must admit I came out here to mainly meditate." _Excellent to know_ Jesse mused. "But when I came out here I felt a certain energy from this direction. I now know that this energy is radiating from you."

"Really now?" Jesse feigned interested, twirling his cigarillo between his fingers.

"Yes. If you do not mind me asking: do you believe in enlightenment?"

Jesse pondered silently as he took another puff. He remembers in his youth before joining the Deadlock that his parents were devoted Christians and would drag his butt out of bed every Sunday morning. How much he loathed that. After certain circumstances, he decided to stay neutral on the whole religion thing. It's not like he doesn't believe in any entities he just chooses to not think about it. Helped him keep a clear conscious when he put a bullet between someone's eye sockets.

The omnic took Jesse's silence as a no.

"Well then let me ask you this: what was your life like before Overwatch?"

Immediately brown eyes met with metal ones. Neither one backing down from the staredown and neither wanting to move a muscle. The omnic knew who Jesse was. Even though hadn't said a single word about himself, somehow the omnic knew.

A memory: _surrounding bodies on the ground either dead or walking at death's door. The stench of blood and excretions everywhere as sweat poured profusely on Jesse's forehead. It was a setup. How could_ he _haven't fallen for such a childish tactic? And because of this all of his comrades were either, captured, dying, or dead._

 _He was on his knees, chin to chest, hands in the air in resignation. A fleet of black-armored soldiers surrounding him, fangs bared at him ready to fire at any moment as a lone ceiling light swayed like a pendulum. Its buzz ticked in a rhythmic pattern, and Jesse counted each swing._ One, two, three.

 _His right index finger twitched. There was revolver nearby, and it had all six rounds._ One, two, three.

_Suddenly the unit was on the ground and the gun was smoking with satisfaction in Jesse's hand. More bodies added to the count. At least he took down some of their men. A sudden click behind his head as the nose of a gun grazed the back of his skull._

Careful there kid. _A warning._ Join me, and I can help you. _An offer._ Or you can rot in jail with the rest of your compadres. _The threat._

_Jesse's choice as he left his Deadlock family behind bars and played the role of a false hero. He abandoned them—betrayed them. And the thing that haunted him the most was he would do it again if he could._

Jesse pulled away from the gaze. He lost and chided himself. He was never good at these mind games. The omnic approached him and placed a hand on Jesse's shoulder as in attempts to comfort the young cowboy. Jesse pulled away.

"Your energy is very negative. And it only appears when the past is brought up. To rid of this negativity, you must face it. I can be of some assistance. I can help you achieve enlightenment like I have helped my student Zenyatta."

The omnic’s words fell on deaf ears. Jesse was tired. Four times in the past two days his thoughts have been plagued with unwanted memories. Of people, he didn't want to remember, and yet the ghosts of the past never wanted to leave him. He thought he was over this. And yet here it comes again like a sultry whisper in his ear. When he first joined Overwatch, he was bitter for his fallen friends that were rotting in a jail cell. And when he had left Blackwatch his heart betrayed him, telling him to turn around and go back to the people that threw his family into a cell. He spent the past years hardening his heart to start new. Cutting all emotional ties with everyone and stopping himself from creating new ones. Become a vigilante of sorts that settled things his way, and it was working. Then the recall came. His heart softened, desperately crying out to return home. But now that he's here all it is doing is making him suffer, longing for the past that would never return. Was he trying to become the hero that he pretended to be?

Jesse took the cigarillo out of his mouth. "Thanks, but no thanks, partner."

He snuffed out the smoke on the boulder, tipped his hat in salutation, and left without another word. That was his last cigarillo, and it was such a shame it was so damn bitter.

  
—

Jesse woke with a shudder as frost nipped at his toes. Muscles were stiff from sleeping on the floor, and he swears that last night’s drool froze to his cheek hair. Within a five-minute time span, he convinced himself never to become a monk after Reinhardt came booming into his quarters and waking him up for departure preparations. Exhausted and grouchy, he felt his patience was wearing thin, and he hasn’t even had a cup of coffee yet. He didn't even have a cigarillo.

He groggily met with the rest of the team with a half-assed excuse for brushed bed head and kept his morning greetings limited to a hat tip or a nod of the head. Another yawn escaped his lips as he looked out an open archway to see the that the sun burned dully. Eyes stinging and body aches. What a great day so far.

Mei had begun her final preparations before departure as Törbjorn took a clawful of last-minute snacks snickering like a child when he stuffed it into his duffle bag. Winston and Reinhardt were loading the truck as Lena honked the horn impatiently. Angela was dead asleep in the seat beside her, drool seeping from the corner of her mouth. Jesse was half tempted to whip out his phone and take a picture for blackmail later, but instead, irritation crawled on his skin. How come she got to sleep? After finishing the preparations, Jesse noticed something was missing.

“Whoa, hey. Where’s Genji?”

Lena peered amongst the faces and shrugged her shoulders. “Dunno love. Maybe he went to the loo?” Paused. Eyebrows furrowed. “Does he even use the loo?”

Angela was awake at this point after scolding Lena about her horn abuse and began to explain the full capabilities of Genji’s body. Watching Lena’s face scrunch in horror made Jesse chuckle, but he bit down the laughter. Reinhardt and Winston slowly came up behind them in a deep conversation about the health benefits of peanut butter. Winston was attempting to convince Reinhardt that an all banana and peanut butter diet was all he needed, but the knight wasn’t entirely convinced. Jesse slowly approached them.

“Have any of you guys seen Genji?”

Winston and Reinhardt puckered their lips and looked at each other then back at Jesse.

“I’m afraid not, Jesse. I was told he was with you,” Reinhardt explained with a concerned gaze.

“I was told the same thing, but it appears that this claim may be false.”

Before Jesse could start to speak, Zenyatta hovered towards them hands in his lap. He was laughing or what Jesse assumed to be was laughter.

“I must apologize my dear guests. I was told to keep it a secret, but I do not want to stir a commotion.”

Winston, Reinhardt, and Jesse cocked an eyebrow quizzically at the monk. Zenyatta then explained that Genji asked him to keep it a secret that he had already left to go in search of his brother and to return to the Watchpoint without him. The corners of Jesse’s eyes crinkled.

“So we’re really doing this? We're considering taking his brother in?” Disbelief was evident in his tone.

Winston flared his nostrils absently and knuckled his way towards the truck.

“I understand your concern, but I am not going back on my word, Jesse. We really do need new members.” He then sighed gruffly slowly pushing his glasses towards the top of his nose. “When we return to Gibraltar, I am going to make a few phone calls, and you are free to invite whoever you feel is capable of joining.”

Jesse shook his head in defeat. It was worth a shot. Lena started the engine, and they made their way slowly down the path. Behind them, human and omnic monks waved goodbye to everyone, but Jesse was too lost in thought to even notice.

_I don't think I could invite anyone, Winston. 'Cause everyone I know is long gone._

The walk down the mountain was a bit more relaxed. The sun beat down on Jesse's skin warming him to his core as he laid on the bed of the truck hands tucked behind his head and legs propped against the other side crossed over each other. His hat hung over his eyes as he tapped his toes to a whimsical melody that played in his thoughts. Törbjorn sat opposite of him mimicking his stance, but his legs took up half of the area, and Mei filled the space in between them hanging off the side lazily. Winston and Reinhardt walked on opposite ends continuing their discussion on balanced meals, and Zenyatta hovered quietly next to Angela. There was a calm between the group.

“Well,” Jesse drawled interrupting the peace. He didn't move from his seat but tipped his hat up till Törbjorn was in his vision. “Since we’re all pretty excited about heading home why don’t we tell Master Zenny here what we’ve been up to. Maybe catch him up on our lives just in case he decides to join our little pow-wow.”

The omnic monk turned and looked at Jesse, tilting his head in confusion.

“I don’t think that is necessary Young Jesse—"

But those words fell on deaf ears.

“Well, I’ll have ya' know that I’ve been workin’ in Russia lately helpin’ them out with their designs on them Svyagotor." Törbjorn was on his feet gesturing with his whole body and bright-eyed. He always had a knack for getting _too_ invested in his stories. He then knitted his eyebrows and puckered his lips. "Though I never did get close to their Headquarters in Moscow.”

Mei’s eyes twinkled in awe as she gave a small applause and Reinhardt gave a low rumble of a laugh. The knight then turned to look at Zenyatta who appeared pleased.

“Well, that sounds like fun. Me? Bridgette and I were in Greenland stocking on some supplies. I was worried at first to leave her behind, but she insisted that I would go.” Reinhardt’s eyes drooped dolefully and clicked his tongue. “I do feel like she worries about me too much even in the distance.”

“It is understandable.” Zenyatta hummed leaning his head on his shoulder. “Now is this Bridgette a significant other in your life?”

Reinhardt’s eyes widened, and a roll of laughter followed. “ _Nein_! She is my squire and goddaughter. She has chosen me to train her in the customs of knighthood and chivalry." And with pride swelling from his chest. "She does me proud.”

Zenyatta nodded his head in recognition. Lena then began strumming her fingers on the steering wheel to draw the omnic's attention towards her.

“Well, that sounds like oodles of fun Rein!" A playful tone was lingering. A Cheshire grin coiled on her lips as she prepped herself in her seat. She was also known to be too invested in her stories. "Me, I haven’t done much. I was on my way home from, oh I don't know, stopping some thugs from stealing some ancient artifacts." Mei's entire face lit with amazement as she peppered Lena with cooes. Reinhardt shook his head muttering the words show off under his breath. Lena then winked at Zenyatta. "Gave them the whole _zip-pow_ combo, and they went crying to their mums in no time flat.” She let go of the wheel with one hand, and finger gunned the air.

Jesse chuckled with a condescending smirk cocking a disbelieving eyebrow.

“ _Zip-pow_? Now that’s a first,” he teased.

The Brit’s cheeks and ears went tomato red and Jesse swore he saw steam escape her ears. “W-what? It’s true. A-anyways long story short I saved the day and was on my way home.”

Everyone around her laughed heartily, and Lena rolled forward in her seat with embarrassment. Her eyes then wandered to the rearview mirror and saw Jesse finger gun at her followed by a wink. She returned his gesture with a bird.

Angela regained a breath and cleared her throat. “Don’t patronize her Jesse.” The cowboy only smirked. She then turned towards Lena who was pouting and smiled. “And that sounds like you had a successful mission, Lena. Me, well…”

She paused and furrowed her eyebrows as if to delicately phrase her next sentence.

“I was in a small village in Southeast Asia. I was told to not give the exact name. Safety precautions.” Everybody voiced an understanding. “I was the head medical doctor there and helping the sick and injured.” Her eyes flickered towards Winston with regret. “I almost didn’t come. I almost didn’t respond to the recall. They needed me, Winston.”

The scientist became wide-eyed as if Angela had slapped him in the face. But before he could ask why she did respond to the recall Angela had answered.

“But, your video...it had changed my mind. I realized after watching your video that you were correct. The world could use—no _needs_ Overwatch. It was a difficult decision to make, but I figured if the world needed me it would be easier if I could have more help, so thank you, Winston.”

Winston didn't say anything, but his silence gave Angela all the information. He eventually said thank you and Angela returned his gratitude with a smile. Everyone fell silent after, and Jesse looked up towards the sky. He swallowed a knot that had lodged in his throat and exhaled as puffs of white clouds left his lips.

_And here I thought I was the only one that didn't almost come._

“My these are all such interesting stories. It amazes me that humans can come together for such noble causes.” Pure admiration rang in Zenyatta's vocal chords. And then it became bleak. "But I must apologize beforehand for any misunderstanding of my presence right now. I am afraid that I cannot join Overwatch." Everyone, especially Winston, voiced a discouraged groan. The omnic chuckled. "As much as I'd like to, my path is much more different than yours, but I am quite grateful that you have considered me to join your _pow wow_." He glanced at Jesse who was shuffling in his seat. "And what about you Young Jesse, where have your travels lead you recently?"

Everyone's eyes traced over to the cowboy who then sat up and readjusted himself.

"Darn, my turn already? Figured good ol' Torby was going to talk the entire trip." The Sweden huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, and Jesse grinned at him. "Just kiddin'. To be honest, nothing really exciting happening on my end. Just been out and about the states trying to pick up any jobs." He lifted a hand to an invisible cigarillo and felt annoyance hover his thoughts. His eyebrow twitched, and he rubbed his fingers together. "But I guess if anything, before the recall I was heading west to meet Genji. Said he needed some help with something."

Everyone glanced at each then returned their eyes to him. A silent group conversation that made Jesse's arm hair stand on edge.

"Was it somethin' I said?"

"No, no it's not that," Angela started,"it's just that—"

"We never knew that you and Genji were so close," Winston finished. He looked at Reinhardt who gave an agreeing nod then looked back at Jesse. "It's just surprising that's all."

"Well shucks, if that's what all this silent whisperins' about then I would have told you guys a long time ago."

Törbjorn slumped back into the bed of the truck and pulled out a bag of veggies chips from his duffle bag.

"Well none of us knew where you were," he mumbled between chews.

Mei extended a glove, and Törbjorn dumped her a handful of chips.

"Well obviously not everyone." Her nose crinkled as she took a precautious nibble at the straw shaped potato.

Suddenly, Jesse felt cornered. Why did it matter who he talked to? Why did it matter to Genji the night before? He swallowed down those questions. Didn't matter what the answer was anyways, but it still bothered him.

"Whoa, whoa. You sayin' this is all my fault?" A collective nod. _Of course, it is,_ he thought to himself. "Well hell, didn't believe that it was such a big deal of who I kept in contact with. My relationships are mine, and yours are yours. Genji's like a lil' brother to me, so I figured I'd keep tabs on him. Doesn't mean I know everything about the guy. I still don't know why he wanted to meet me."

"I believe I can answer that question." Jesse's eyes landed on the monk. "A few months ago, Genji had contacted me saying he had made a connection with his brother. Long story short, their meeting ended with Genji giving his brother a choice. Genji wants to ensure his brother stays on a righteous path so he decided to ask for some assistance from an old friend of his. Jesse, I believe he was going to ask you for help with his brother."

Everyone blinked absently—Jesse more than anyone else. He went slack-jawed, throat dry, and all forms of sentence structure left his mind.

"Why me? Why not you? Aren't you—I don't know—some type of life crisis guru? I mean why did he want to meet with me?" A thousand more questions raced through his mind, but the only one that came to his lips was _why_.

"That is the real mystery Young Jesse, and the answer only lies within my pupil. One thing he did mention to me was that when he first joined your Overwatch the first person that made him feel welcomed was you. He said you approached him with friendship and not judgment saying something along the lines of: 'wanting a cool ninja cyborg dude on your team.'" The monk appeared to be smiling. "I think he believes if anyone can help his brother it’s you. He trusts you, Jesse."

A whirlwind of emotions spun in the cowboy's stomach. Pride, confusion, sadness—hell he didn't know. He didn't even think that their first meeting meant anything to Genji. He just assumed he'd be the nice guy considering no one likes being the new kid on the block. He pinched himself. Nope. Not a dream.

A warm sensation swam in his chest, burning his stomach that Jesse thought he was glowing from the inside out. He slumped back down and pulled his hat over his face to hide the red that was tinting his cheeks. So this is what it felt like to be appreciated, and boy did it feel good. He cleared his throat in attempts to swallow down his ego. _Whatever floats his boat_ was all he responded with.

  
When they reached the carrier, Angela and Lena attempted to convince Zenyatta one more time to join them at Gibraltar, but the monk refused the offer saying that he must stay and teach more pupils. But if they ever needed assistance that they should not hesitate to ask. With their final goodbyes, the group set off back home.

  
—

  
Genji reached the entrance of the village as the sun peaked over the mountains. Elderly people that were hiding from the day before had begun to wander outside their homes and started to socialize. The sound of an actual village slowly roaring to life filled Genji’s skull with a numbing, energetic buzz. His eyes then wandered to a school bus and children staring at him in awe. He smiled and slowly approached them and the children scurried towards the bus entrance as if he were a wild animal. He knelt down to their level and few children gasped and squealed in anticipation.

"Hello, little ones." His voice was soft and soothing.

A young girl with boyish features giggled as her friend nudged her closer towards him. The way that the friend teased her reminded him of his younger days when he and his brother would tease each other in front of a girl they thought was cute. Charming. Childish. Innocent. He couldn't help but laugh at himself. He then saw the friend whisper something in the girl's ear which earned another giggle. The girl smiled and moved closer to Genji cupping her mouth.

"Um, excuse me, mister." Her voice was quiet as if she were trying to tell him the biggest secret in the world. Genji inched closer smile still hanging on his lips. "Are you an omnic from the monastery?"

Genji suddenly felt the blood drain from his face. His entire body twitched as if someone had stabbed him in the back with a hot knife. Although his body was no way of feeling the cold weather, he suddenly felt icy.

_Ah yes of course...what else could it be?_

He laughed weakly. "No, I am not. Sorry to disappoint young one."

He figured he sounded a bit disheartened by the way the girl's eyes fluttered to guilt and her mouth curled with an apology. He quickly rose to a standing position and tousled the girl's hair. He inhaled and let out a sharp breath through his nostrils.

_It's okay Genji. They do not understand nor will they ever._

He repeated it to himself three more times.

Genji took a few steps back and began to swing his arms.

"Actually," he started. He used his arm's momentum to leap into a backflip earning several gasps of amazement and a few kids clapped with giddiness. He then posed into a superhero stance, embarrassment immediately flushing his pale cheeks. "I am a cyborg ninja. Kind of cool, huh?"

The kids roared with an applause, and Genji scratched the back of his head sheepishly and bowed. When he turned around, he saw the children's parents gazing with eyes sharp, almost sneering at him. He brushed them off ignoring their judgmental glances and walked towards a food cart.

_They do not understand nor will they ever._

The old woman tending the cart scoffed when Genji approached and left without a greeting. Genji ignored her as well. He scanned through the produce and picked up an apple examining it carefully. He sighed.

"Why are you hiding? Come on out, Hanzo."

Behind a pillar, a figure moved and revealed himself. The man wore a coal black _kyudo-gi_ that exposed the left half of his body and a dark blue, almost black dragon tattoo traced elegantly from his pectoralis down to his wrist. A bow and a quiver are draped over his shoulder, and his raven black hair was tied in a gold scarf. The man clicked his tongue and approached Genji.

"It is strange. I remember when we were younger you couldn't hear me approaching you even if I walked right in front of you. But now that we are older I can't even hide amongst other citizens."

Genji was silent. He had no time to deal with his brother's antics.

"How long have you been following me?"

Hanzo's face flinched. Hurt. "Is that the kind of greeting that you give your brother?"

"Answer the question, Hanzo."

The man became tight-lipped, and he squared his shoulders. He had realized that now was not the time for playful banter.

"Since our last interaction."

Irritation bubbled in Genji's stomach, and his visor flashed threateningly. He felt a headache coming.

"You've been following me for that long, and you didn't even take the time to say hello?"

Hanzo's expression didn't change when his brother's voice rose. Instead, it became even tauter as his jawline clenched and his feet grounded. His eyes were slanted, leering at Genji and the younger realized that he was now in the presence of a stirred man. Genji sighed in defeat.

"Why didn't you at least approach me?" His voice strained, exhausted from leaving the temple early in the morning.

Hanzo relaxed his shoulders but kept his expression stiff. The wave of hostility temporarily dispersed until next argument Genji noted.

"I wanted to, but I am still unsure as to approach you. Although you have fully accepted what you have become, I have yet fully accepted it. Nor have I forgiven myself for putting you in this...situation." Hanzo delicately added as if not to offend him, but the way his eyes traced Genji from top to bottom spoke louder than his words.

The cyborg laughed almost mockingly. "Have you to come to scorn me like the others in this world?"

"No! That is not it." Hanzo all but leaped at Genji but avoiding any type of physical contact. The younger brother stared daggers at Hanzo as if the answer were to be on his face, but the archer turned from his gaze. He was grasping at straws. "It's not that. It's just I have conflicting feelings towards you. How is it possible that you can forgive me and accept what you are so easily?"

Genji's visor lightened to a brighter shade of green and his eyes softened. Watching his brother struggle with honesty made him feel less hostile. At least he was trying. He then crossed his arms over his chest.

"Believe me, brother. It was not a smooth journey. I had many years to think and to meditate to get to where I am. Although the world may not accept me, I accept myself, and that is all I truly need." Hanzo turned his gaze at Genji; his eyes lost as if what he said was foreign. Genji's eyes then lit up. "Speaking of meditation, I assume that you heard of my proposition at the monastery?"

It was Hanzo's turn to become silent. His eyebrows furrowed and a frown pursed on his lips. The eternal scowl Genji noted again.

"I did."

"So what do you think of my offer?"

Hanzo inhaled sharply.

"I think you are a fool." Sharp and blunt. Good old Hanzo. Genji figured this would be the outcome. Even when they were kids, Hanzo never agreed to his ideas, but now they were adults arguing over adult things. It was somehow much more childish. "How could you shamelessly tell my sins to these strangers? Have you no dignity or honor?"

Genji sighed. He needed a long meditation session after this meeting. "They are not strangers, Hanzo. They are my companions. And it is not just your story to tell. It is mine as well."

A warning snarl escaped Hanzo's mouth. 

"You’ve always let your mouth run when it wasn't needed. It’s a shame to know that your naïvity still lingers in that new body of yours."

Genji bit back thousands of comebacks as if he were swallowing needles. He had countless ways to make his brother writhe in guilt, but now was not the time to have retaliation against his brother's hot-headed ways. He breathed sharply as the bolts on his body released hot air.

"And you always were one to turn down great opportunities.” His voice was steady, impatient. As if he was testing his own willpower. “Just reconsider it, Hanzo. Who knows, maybe you'll consider these people comrades who are worthy enough to know of your past."

Hanzo only scoffed at the thought, and Genji mentally counted to ten to keep himself calm. Why was he so damn stubborn? Hanzo's face then scrunched in thought, and he relaxed a bit. His eyes were focused on the apples in the cart.

"If I do this," he started not meeting Genji's eyes, "will we be able to fix our relationship?"

Genji's stomach fluttered, and all ill feelings towards his brother had vanished and became a sense that he hasn't felt in a while: hope.

"Yes."

Hanzo's face kept stern, and his eyes narrowed. A moment of silence passed, and Genji was starting to get worried. What was he thinking about? What's with the sudden silence? Was he really upset that he told everyone about his past?

"I will... consider it," Hanzo finally said, still gazing at the apples. Genji's visor brightened only to be brought back to it's dull green when Hanzo spoke again. "Just because I said I'll consider it doesn't mean I'll join. Besides, even if I did accept your offer, it seems as though your friends already have an unfavorable opinion of me no thanks to you."

Genji bowed his head in apology and laughed nervously. "That was honestly not my intention, but they did say that they were willing to give you a chance."

It was Hanzo's turn to laugh. It was almost genuine minus the venom behind it.

"They also admitted that they were doing it for the sake of your friendship with them. Do not twist their words Genji lest you forget that I was there as well. Although not close enough to overhear the exact words I was close enough to hear their tones."

Genji’s mind flashed to Jesse who he recalls saying that he was doing it for only him and his stomach knots. His brother may be right, but Genji believed that this was the correct choice and pushed down the feeling that burned his stomach.

"It will take some time, trust me on this Hanzo, but like I said before, in due time you may even consider these people as friends. Besides, it doesn't help that your personality is that of a porcupine."

Genji's shoulder was met with a fist, and he staggered from the force as Hanzo finally met his brother's eyes; a weak smile was hanging off his lips. The two then laughed casually amongst them and savored the moment. Although they argued whenever they met with minuscule details when they laughed it was always together. They finally caught their breath, and Hanzo cleared his throat.

"I will consider joining your _team_ Genji, but there are no guarantees."

Genji nods his head. "I understand, but know that you have one week to respond to the request."

Hanzo smiles as if taunting Genji. It sends a chill down the younger brother's spine.

"That's more than enough time."

 

—

  
Back at Gibraltar, the evening horizon spread across the sky, and orange painted the landing grounds. Winston immediately holed himself in his lab as everyone else began to unload supplies. Athena greeted him with the usual salutation, and he responded in routine. He then began to rummage through drawers leaving chaos in his tracks until he found three manilla folder with three different names labeled on top. He throws them onto his desk their contents scattering everywhere. Athena’s logo blipped on a nearby monitor.

“Winston, I feel as though you are taking this a bit too fast. I recommend we take this one step at a time or else our actions may start appearing suspicious.”

Winston popped his head from underneath the desk and huffed.

“I understand your concern Athena, but time is of the essence right now, and we just can’t sit around and wait.” He pulled out a jar of peanut butter and unscrewed the lid with his teeth. He then sat in his chair and rolled to the desk. “Besides.” He smacked his lips between a mouthful of peanut butter. “I am careful.”

Winston thought he heard Athena sigh.

A knock on his doorway drew his eyes towards Angela who was standing near the entrance. Her wings were removed from her back, but she kept the remainder of her uniform on. She had a smile on her lips, and Winston nodded for her to come in. 

“You know Winston, you should listen to Athena once in a while. A woman’s intuition is always right,” she teased, and Winston only blew on his lips with a _pbbb_ _._

“Welcome, Agent Mercy. Would you like me to update any data based on your mission statement?”

Mercy laughed. “No that won’t be necessary Athena. I don’t even think I’ll be even doing any examination tonight. This mission was far too easy.” Her eyes wandered towards Winston. “Speaking of missions, Winston what is your next plan in regards to them? Have you already taken some requests?”

Winston placed the jar on his desk and sat up, smacking his lips in the process. Angela raised an eyebrow causing the gorilla to bashfully clear his throat.

“Ah yes, in regards to the following weeks: I feel as though that this one week period should be mainly recruitment time. Lord knows we need them.” Angela nodded in agreement. “After a few new members join, we’ll then start running the simulator. I had added some enhanced holodisks to one of the training hangers, and I am sure you’ll be pleased to know that the entire surrounding will be taken into account.”

Angela’s other eyebrow raised this time.

“My Winston sounds like you have been busy these past few years. And not once did you send me a postcard.” She eyed the one ordained on his desk. She remembers that Halloween fairly well and how Törbjorn managed to convince her to go to a party as a witch. It was a fun moment in her life.

Winston began to shuffle in his seat. “My apologies, I would have sent one sooner if—“ Angela's nose crinkled and threw him a glance. “Right, uh sorry. Rambling.”

Winston’s lab brought a sense of comfort to the doctor. It’s been long since she’s been in a large facility like this. These past years she’s been escorted from one small village to the next in attempts to save the bedridden. Sometimes she succeeded many times she failed. _You can’t save them all_ : was her mantra. She sighed.

“You know Winston, even if we get all these new members, and we train them to be excellent soldiers it won’t do much if we don’t actually _do_ something.”

Winton frowned and his eyebrows furrowed. He took his glasses off and placed them on the desk, running his hands over his weary face. He chuckled weakly.

“You’re starting to sound like Athena.”

Angela sat on the desk looking at the contents that were scattered. Photos of three people stood out, and she recognized all of them due to being national icons. Her face soured as Winston began to speak again.

“To be honest, Angela, I am not quite sure what I should do. I was even contemplating on whether to search the internet to see if anyone needed request.”

Angela looked at Winston to see if he was joking, but the weariness that drooped from the gorilla’s face told no lies. She threw him a sympathetic smile followed by a laugh.

“It seems as though you’re a bit inexperienced in this, Winston.”

The ape huffed in defeat and put his glasses back on.

“I must admit this is not as easy as I thought it would be. Never had a knack for leadership.”

A silence drifted between the two as they looked out the window and saw everyone below. There was muffled laughter between the glass as they watched Jesse and Lena get into some type of playful banter followed by Reinhardt entering their scrimmage. Angela’s heart fluttered with delight.

“It’s strange to be back, almost surreal.” She broke the silence with a pleased hum. She then looks at Winston with a tender expression that made it appear that her whole face was glowing. “But it’s a good strange. One that I hope never goes away.”

Winston only nodded in agreement. Another silence.

“But at the same time, it’s not.” Winston’s voice was deep, solemn.

Angela’s ears perked at his tone as she looked back outside. Earlier she had noticed a few familiar photos on his desk. The Halloween one was one of them. Another one was a picture of a younger Winston and a man who she always assumed was his caretaker. And the last one, the one she believed everyone still had, was the one where he had just graduated and everyone that was in the old Overwatch celebrated. That one brought a nostalgic almost somber feeling to her heart. She frowns.

Almost as if Winston sensed her demeanor changed, he spoke. “You know who always had a knack for these things?”

Suddenly, the warmth that Angela felt earlier vanished and she felt her skin prickle till it hurt. Her fingers curled into a fist, and she whipped her head to face Winston. His expression was brooding, almost heartbroken. She bit her lip and walked towards him. She then placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t do this to yourself, Winston. You’re going to be a great leader. You'll do fine.”

For a moment Winston refused to meet her gaze, but when he did sadness lingered behind his eyes.

“What happened Angela? I mean what happened to us? To Overwatch?” After a too long of a pause. “What happened to Jack?”

Too many questions at once and the room began to spin. Flashbacks of an explosion, a severely burned body, and an angry hiss haunting her. Angela felt the blood drain from her face and exhaustion consumed her. Lucky her. She pinched the bridge of her nose to stop an oncoming headache.

“Don’t worry about it.” It was clear that Winston wanted the persist more, but decided against it. As if trying to remove any suspicion and to at least give Winston some type of leverage, Angela spoke again. “None of the past matters. And I assure you, Winston, the new Overwatch will be astonishing under your command because I reassure you, I will not let what happened in Switzerland happen again." And in a silent breath, she whispered to herself. "And that’s a promise I’ll be willing to take to my grave.”

  
—

  
Jesse and the rest of the group sat around Reinhardt as he had finished telling a story of how he and Bridgette saved a village from dragons. Everyone feigned a good interest until Reinhardt started saying something about fighting about twenty dragons. At that point, it was a silent group decision that the story was just ridiculous. They all began to comment that he was exaggerating to which the old knight began to grumble under his breath.

“Well, I don’t see you guys saving a village from dragons. In fact…” He eyed Lena and wiggled his eyebrows. A roughish smirk hung off his lips. “I can’t believe you let two robbers get away with your Nation’s jewels. A rookie mistake if I do say so myself.”

Lena, who was sitting crisscrossed, puffed her cheeks.

“That wasn’t even my fault!” She shrilled defensively. She uncrossed her legs only to cross her arms. “I wasn’t even home when Bonnie and Clyde decided to stop by good ol’ London, so you can’t be blaming that one on me.”

Reinhardt swatted her away saying that he was just jesting, and Jesse just smiled. Mei began adjusting her coat. She didn’t take account that the temperatures would be warmer here. She then looked at Lena with fidgeting fingers.

“So what were you doing when they stole the artifacts if you don’t mind me asking.”

Suddenly silence trapped the Brit, and her eyes darted awkwardly as if she got caught doing something illegal.

“Uh, nothing really.”

Jesse didn’t believe her a bit. He knew the visible signs of deceit after being an interrogator for Blackwatch for so long that noticing Lena’s slips ups were easy. Besides, she always was a terrible liar.

  
“Nothin huh?” He cooed. His smile was friendly, warm almost as if a tease, but his eyes read lethal, dangerous, a warning for the upcoming storm. “Sounds like a whole lotta bullshit to me. Come on now, Lena. Spill the beans. It’s not like we haven’t heard it before. What, don’t think we can’t handle the truth?”

_Dangle the carrot in front of the rabbit._

Lena was sweating bullets at this time, and yet, she persisted with her white lie. She strung a few stories together in attempts to change the subject, but Jesse always pulled the focus back on her. Eventually, she cracked like an egg.

“Alright, alright! I’ll tell ya’! Sheesh, it’s no wonder you were in Blackwatch, Jesse. You guys know how to get people talking.” Jesse knew she meant it as a compliment, but that didn't make it sting less. Lena then took a moment to recollect her thoughts and everyone crowded her. “I was scouting out for information on Talon.”

Everyone immediately had grave expressions and frowned.

Törbjorn inched closer running his claw through his beard. “Sorry didn’t catch that. What did you say?” He wanted to make sure he heard her right.

With flushed cheeks and irritation, Lena raised her voice.

“I was scouting out for Talon, there I said it. You guys happy now?”

Everyone reeled back in shock and slacked-jawed. One right after another they asked her why to which she avoided answering or misdirected the question. She then threw daggers at Jesse that read: _look at what you made me do_ , to which Jesse mouthed an apology. After a few more questions, the commotion finally died down. Lena began to spin on her heel and placed her hands on her hips.

“Look, guys, it’s no big deal. It’s just Talon. Nothing to be worried about.”

Jesse jeered cheekily.

" _Only Talon_? Sweetie that’s one of the world’s most dangerous terrorist organizations. Of course, we’ll be concerned. What’s someone like you trying to mess with someone like them? That’s basically going into a bullfight with no rodeo clown. A losing battle, if you ask me.”

Without warning, Lena's demeanor changed as if something Jesse said triggered her. She straightened her back and dug her heels into the ground. She turned over her shoulder and glowered at the cowboy; the corners of her mouth were a thin line. The sunset's rays shadowed her face contorting her appearance to something more menacing. A rabid dog ready to strike.

“Well, what do you know, huh _cowboy_?”

She seethed those last words as if warning him not to provoke any further, but the ball was in Jesse's court now. Her bilious tone made his neck hair stand erect, and his right index finger twitched. He knew there was much more than just “scouting,” especially after that last comment.

“I sure as hell know that you shouldn’t be putting your nose in their business if ya know what’s good for you.” His voice was wry, threatening.

In the background, Mei had begun to grow uncomfortable with the strain that had started to fester and had opened her mouth to intervene, but Törbjorn silenced her and shook his head.

Jesse watched it happen in slow-motion as Lena grew visibly upset and blinked towards him. He towered over her as she stood directly underneath him her forehead near his chin. There was no space between them and Lena steadied her feet, grounding her. Their breaths were shallow, teeth bared and eyes wild. Jesse's jaw was clenched, and he felt a threatening growl rumble in his chest. Lena’s hands were balled into a fist, shaking, ready to slap him at any given moment. The tension could be cut with a knife. Jesse's chewed his cheek waiting for the sting of a slap, but it never came.

“Just. Drop. It.” Lenna hissed slowly as if using all of her willpower to not swing at him. She furiously turned a heel and blinked away faster than Jesse had ever seen. He figured she went to her room from the direction her blue trail left and exhaled sharply through his lips lifting his hat on his head.

His face twisted with guilt, and his heart felt heavy. He hated playing the role of bad cop good cop, considering he always played the bad cop, but he always got the information in the end. Mei then dropped her gaze away from Jesse and focused on something else. She began to act as if she just watched something that she wasn't supposed to. Jesse breathed through his nose and put his hat back on his head.

“Don’t worry about it too much,” Törbjorn managed to spit out walking towards the cowboy and placed a reassuring hand on his lower back. “She’ll get over it. Give her some time, she’ll come around.” Within ear’s reach, he commented that he needed to update the defense sentries around the point before vanishing behind a door.

Jesse only wished it was that easy. He remembered last time he riled her up for information, he was ignored for almost a good month. And although Törbjorn’s words rang to some truth, it didn’t help that he had to use old tactics to get the information.

“Still don’t feel right, though. Especially if I have to use it against a lady,” he thought aloud.

Reinhardt approached his side and placed a hand on the cowboy’s shoulder. His stolid expression made it hard for Jesse to figure out what was on the knight's mind.

“I still see you have that chivalrous heart of yours.”

Jesse's expression lightened at the thoughtful compliment and managed a small thank you. Reinhardt smiled in response scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He blew out a held breath.

“I still can’t believe that she’s been chasing Talon after all these years.”

Jesse kept silent not wanting ready to strike up any conversations yet. He pulled a cigarillo from his pocket but didn’t light it. He made sure that as soon as they landed he grabbed more. Reinhardt then looked at Mei who was frowning awkwardly her body language revealed that she was unsure of where to go. He ignored her.

“Still, I think I have an idea of why she’s looking for them.” He walked towards the cliffside and sat on a boulder.

Jesse rubbed his neck and rolled his head from side-to-side. He was still pretty stiff from this morning. Maybe he should ask Angela to take a look at his neck.

“I reckon I got a hunch too, but I didn’t want to believe it until I got a particular result.”

Reinhardt’s eyes fluttered in surprise and mouth hanging. “Is that the reason why you asked all those questions?” Jesse didn’t say anything, but his silence gave all the answers. Reinhardt only gurgled through his throat then chuckled. “The girl is right, Jesse. Your Blackwatch tactics are terrifying. Just watching you made it feel like I was a predator cornering their next meal.”

Jesse sighed. His tactics, his methods, his _entire being_ was still Blackwatch. Such a shame. He lit his cigarillo and took a long drag. His skin stung, and he felt the numbness enter the back of his skull. He welcomed the familiar high with open arms.

“Well, at least I got the answer I was looking for. Still, I don’t know why Lena's doing all of this. Even if she were to get all the information on Talon it still won’t bring Amélie. It won’t even explain why she joined them in the first place.”

He exhaled, and smoke ran through his lips lazily. The breeze whipped the trail, and Reinhardt scrunched his face. Jesse wasn’t sure if it was the smell, but he really didn’t care at the moment. Reinhardt then placed a hand on his thigh and shook his head.

“You know…” Reinhardt paused and furrowed his eyebrows. Whatever he wanted to say earlier was now obviously disregarded. He stared at Jesse vacantly exhaustion drooping from his already sagging face. “Doctor Ziegler isn’t going to like the fact that you haven’t quit smoking.”

Jesse laughed and took another drag almost in spite.

“Hell, let her have a hissy fit. This is the only way I know how to relax.” And without missing a beat. “Besides, I learned this trick from an old Blackwatch dog.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and thank you for sticking around till Chapter 2! So we start getting into some touchy subject between some members such as Genji's approach on how he deals with other people's opinions on his appearance, Lena's double life, Angela's secrets from Switzerland, Winston's capability of being Overwatch's essential new leader, and more of Jesse's struggle with his past as an ExBlackwatch member. Note that I still will be doing more of these character POV switches, but Jesse is still my main voice in this story (for now at least). Also, I'm sorry for the lack of "shipping feed" but I promise you that there will be some interaction between Jesse and Hanzo soon (as in within the next 2 chapters soon). Probably not the exact interaction that you shippers are looking for, but hey it's something.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Did you honestly believe that you could be a hero? That just by bringing in a ragtag team of washed up wannabe soldiers, a couple of bratty kids, two con artist, and an evil corporate dog and the world would suddenly love you? How stupid can you get? And I should know because I was one of you."

7:24 A.M. Oct. 01, 2076.

The date beamed dimly from Jesse’s holodisk on the side table as his eyes glazed over the flickering blue numbers. It’s the third day in a row that he’s been waking up earlier than his alarm much to his displeasure. He rolled onto his back running calloused hands over his face and exhaled through his nose. Today, Winston was expecting a new recruitment to come in, and Jesse was surprised to hear that someone of high social status was invited to join. Winston assured him that he took the media into consideration, but the cowboy was still wary. He reached over and plucked the disk, and the numbers flickered off. The screen then brightened to the homepage earning a tired groan from Jesse wincing from the temporary blindness. He hovered a finger aimlessly until he hit the agent history files and scrolled through. He eventually landed in a newly added folder, clicked it, and a neatly layered summary of the new agent fell in bullet formation.

“Lúcio Correia dos Santos, alias: none. Social status: freedom fighter. Occupation: self-proclaimed DJ.” Jesse snorted then continued reading aloud. “Age: 26.” He paused, knitted his eyebrows and took a closer look at the picture of the guy. The man himself wore a toothy grin and was throwing a peace sign at what Jesse suspected to be the accomplice’s camera as a group of Vishkar officers chased angrily behind. Jesse couldn’t help but shake his head. The guy had too much of a baby face even with that patch of hair on his chin.

He skimmed through the rest of the information and closed the file. After a long, silent minute he reopened and reread an email that Winston had sent a few hours earlier for the second time. 

 

> Salutations Everyone!
> 
> Today is going to be the day we will start using our brand new training facilities. I have earned a few responses from the emails that I have sent out earlier this week and was pleased to see the positive results. With that in mind, I will go ahead and set up our teams based on an arbitrary selection system. It will be a basic attack and defense simulation. Further information shall be addressed at 0830 at the landing dock. See you then. - Winston

He then reads the bottom of the email for the fifth time. 

 

> **Team A**
> 
> Jesse McCree  
>  Mei-Ling Zhou  
>  Reinhardt Wilhelm  
>  Myself (Winston)  
>  Lúcio Correia dos Santos  
>    
>  **Team B**  
>    
>  Lena (Tracer) Oxton  
>  Törbjorn Lindholm  
>  Angela (Mercy) Ziegler  
>  Genji Shimada  
>  Guest(?)

His eyes glued to that last name and he felt a grunt escaping his throat. Although there was no name attached to it, he had a hunch of who it was. He shut the screen off in undesired irritation and flung it back on the table where it rolled on its spine then rattled itself to a halt. His legs pivoted over the side of the bed followed by a yawn as he scratched his bare chest. The room was still, and the sun flittered through the small crack of his window tracing over the walls. His eyes glanced over to the board of photos and frowned followed by an exasperated sigh.

“Well, might as well get today over with.”

The alarm went off at 7:30, but no one was in the room to silence it but a lone hat.

 

—

 

Jesse’s stomach began to protest in hunger and found himself in the mess hall. At the dining table, he spotted Mei sitting by herself; her eyebrows furrowed and eyes glued to her laptop as she tapped a finger on the counter. Jesse tiptoed towards the fridge making sure not to interrupt her, but the climatologist caught sight of his gray tank top from her peripherals.

“Good morning.” Her voice was tender, but kept her eyes on the screen, uninterested in the cowboy's overall presence in the room.

Jesse froze then shuffled on the balls of his heels sticking his hands in the pocket of his sweats. He returned the greeting with a nod and reached for the handle of the fridge.

“Mornin'. Watcha workin’ on?”

Mei’s eyes glazed over the top of her laptop and traced Jesse’s back.

“Nothing too exciting. Winston recommended that I’d keep a journal on my adventures as I continue to work with the environment.” She shut the laptop closed and turned her body towards Jesse. “I was just responding to some emails to my fellow environmentalist. They say my writings are quite an exciting read, although, I don’t think they’re that great.”

Mei’s lips curled into a frown as she slouched in her seat. Jesse hummed in thought as he pulled out a water bottle.

“I bet they’re great. Have more confidence in yourself.” The scientist's face lit up as Jesse twisted the cap off consuming the water like air. He exhaled with gusto, gritted his teeth at an oncoming brain freeze and let out a deep, satisfied growl. “I mean it’s not like they’re saying it because they're just nice. I honestly think they look up to you.”

Mei’s eyebrow curled in disbelief as Jesse sat across from her with the empty water bottle crinkled in his hand. He made sure to keep his body turned away from her considering how uneasy she appeared. He had noticed it the day after their return that the scientist has been extra wary of his presence, especially with what happened with Lena. Angela explained that Mei has a thing against bullies and that it puts her in a mood. He tried to find a time of day to clear up any misunderstandings with her, but whenever he got the chance she always excused herself and apologized profusely saying that she was busy with environmental affairs, but it was evident that she wasn’t comfortable with his presence.

But with a string of luck, Jesse caught it from the corner of his eyes. It was faint at first, but a smile pursed on Mei’s lips as she adjusted her glasses till they were hugging the bridge of her nose.

“Wow, I guess your honesty is what I needed to brighten my day.”

Jesse craned his neck till his eyes met hers and stared at with complete confusion. Mei’s cheeks flushed with adoration; her eyes widened and stared at him almost childlike. Jesse felt vulnerable, especially without his hat. He reminded himself to pick it up after the rundown by Winston.

“You’re welcome, I think?” He knew he should let their conversation end there, but he was curious to see where they stood. He didn’t want to be on anyone’s blacklist, especially someone who's on his team. “So, uh, what are you guys talking about, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Mei’s face puckered hesitantly, and she returned her gaze towards her laptop closing any intimacy that was there earlier.

“Well…” She paused and twiddled her thumbs as if piecing a sentence together. “I’ve been thinking about our discussion in Nepal these past three days.” Jesse dropped his head and reeled in the memories like it was yesterday. “And I thought it would be a good idea to put my thoughts down on how my presence here affects the environment. If I’m even making a difference.” She sucked in the air and scrunched her nose. “At first, I was surprised— _happy_  even, to get all this positive feedback, but then I started to doubt my fellow scientist. I began thinking that they just pitied me.”

Her eyes were weary, and Jesse felt uncomfortable. The dark circles under her eyes and two cups of empty coffee gave enough evidence that she had been struggling with this for more than a few hours. And every time she either looked exhausted or distressed Jesse always felt like he just kicked a puppy. Mei noticed Jesse's discomfort and gave a reassuring smile.

“But I guess hearing it from a person that’s actually in front of me does help.” Jesse's eyes fluttered, and a warm sensation gushed inside his stomach. Mei softened her shoulders. “So I guess what I’m trying to say is: thank you.” The warmth then expanded into his chest igniting a dull flame. His heart was glowing. “I would have still been doubting my purpose, but because of you I realize that my goal remains the same and that my duty will always be to fight for our world.”

Those last words stung Jesse’s ears, and the glow became unbearably painful.  _Duty_?  _Purpose_? They felt foreign yet so familiar to him. They danced on his tongue and played in the back of his skull on repeat like a broken record player tickling his lips without even forming in his throat. He had long lost his reasoning for performing such righteous causes and had convinced himself that playing hero only belonged to the Golden boys and girls and not people like him. Which reminded him once again:  _why was he here_?

He shook off the question and began to feel gratitude by the scientist's words. She was thanking him,  _inspired_  by him. He only nodded in response and took her words with a grain of salt. Wherever they stood now, Jesse would have to accept it whether he liked it or not even if it wasn’t under his terms.

Outside, the two of them hear a commotion and perk their ears. Jesse counted a total of four voices: three familiar one and one new one. It sounded whimsical and was bouncing with enthusiastic energy.

“The recruit must be in.” Mei jumped off her chair and dusted her sweats. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Shall we go introduce ourselves?”

 

—

 

Down at the hangar, Reinhardt, Winston, and Lena crowded towards the entrance of the aircraft as AI bots roamed aimlessly carrying cargo off it. As Jesse and Mei approached, Lena began to boom with laughter almost knocking her off her feet. She rolled on her heels, grabbed her stomach and feigned wiping a tear from her eye.

“Oh man, this guy is great! Why didn’t we recruit him sooner, Winston?”

“Well according to the timeline of Overwatch’s decline and his current age, it would be unfavorable to be drafting a child.”

Lena's face scrunched. “A  _child_? Last I checked, Overwatch had no problems recruiting me, and we’re practically the same age.”

Winston sighed apologetically. “You were an exception, Lena. You know this.”

There was an awkward chuckle followed by a click of a tongue.

“Hey, not to interrupt your guy’s heart-to-heart moment, but I kinda figured you were younger than me considering how active you are.”

Lena snorted and lightly punched the man’s shoulder.

“Well look at you: tryin’ to butter me up already?”

The recruit smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Gotta start somewhere.”

As Jesse and Mei entered the group, Lena’s eyes sharpened and a scowl curled on her lips. Everyone’s eyes then traced over to Jesse and gave an empathetic grin. He sighed.

_It’s been three days Lena. Can’t you let it go?_

Ignoring the scowl, Jesse looked at the recruit and found himself hardly impressed. The guy wore a deep V-neck shirt, blue jean shorts and wore aviator sunglasses. A pair of large yellow headphones hung off his neck and was bleeding, what Jesse assumed was, house music. He kept one hand in a pocket and the other on the waist. Upon closer examination, Jesse noticed that he had a strange tattoo on his left arm. It appeared tribal as the black inked traced elegantly down his chiseled deltoid. Possibly a family emblem? The man gave a toothy grin and extended a hand.

“Hey, what’s up man. Names Lúcio.”

Jesse took the hand into his and smiled. “Pleasure. McCree. Jesse if ya’ wanna go by first names.”

Lúcio’s eyes lit up as he cocked an amused eyebrow. His smile grew.  “Are you for real?  _Jesse McCree_  is your full name?” He snorted. “That sounds too fake to be real.”

The cowboy smiled playfully in response and released Lúcio’s hand. “With a name like yours kid, I figured we’d be square on unusual names.”

Lúcio’s smile faltered slightly but returned ten times fold. “Fair enough.”

Witty was the first description that came to Jesse’s mind when it came to the guy. Naive and remarkably social were the next two. The perfect definitions of a new recruitment. He’d break out of it soon.

Lúcio scanned the entire hangar floor and whistled impressively nodding his head in approval.

“Wow. I can’t believe that I’m here!” His eyes were large as saucers, and his face was glowing. He looked at everyone’s face with a twinkle in his eyes. “I mean, you guys are the stuff of legends. Riding off into battle, saving the day, rescuing  _senhoras_  in distress. You guys are like storybook heroes.” His voice rang with pure admiration earning a few prideful huffs from Reinhardt.

“Ah I believe you’re describing them and not me,” Mei chirped bashfully, adjusting her glasses, “I was more of the environmental team. Not as exciting I am afraid.”

Lúcio flashed a toothy grin. “Are you kidding? You’re just as important as them! I mean, saving our planet from environmental deterioration? How could you not be as exciting?" His body began to shake with excitement. "My motto is: if you’re doing something together for the sake of humanity than you’re alright in my book.”

Mei’s cheeks flushed with a warm glow, and a contagious smile cracked on her lips. Jesse caught the smile but felt disheartened at the same time. Such a shame that they have to bring such a wide-eyed idealist like him and break him to be a soldier.

_Should’a stayed home, kid. These parts aren’t kind to people of your stature._

“Shame that you guys got shut down, though,” Lúcio mentioned sympathetically. Winston cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “You know that Petras Act is doing more harm than good. Doing some injustice to the real heroes of the world.”

“Ah yes, that reminds me. Mr. Correia dos Santos due to the Petras Act and your social status I ask that you take extra precautionary actions when you go out on missions.” He eyed Lúcio warningly. And as if to lighten mood smiled. “Don’t want the UN digging their noses into our business now.”

Lúcio rolled a shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows. “Yeah, Winston. No problem. Careful is my middle name. Favor, though: just call me Lúcio. That whole formal thing? Don’t sit right with me.”

Winston laughed and adjusted his glasses.

“Fairtrade. Now that all formalities are out of the way, I’ll have Agent Wilhelm here take you to your quarters. You’ll have a fifteen minute break period before you meet back here for further instructions. I recommend that you get into proper training gear when you return.”

Lúcio’s face soured, and Jesse couldn’t help but laugh at himself. And so it begins. 

Jesse gave a final salutation to the recruit and gave him the whole “Welcome to Overwatch,” and proceeded to return to his quarters to change.

Passing by the mess hall, he spotted Angela sporting an unkempt bathrobe, messy bun, and a fresh cup of coffee. Bags hung heavily under her eyes, and a yawn escaped her mouth. An appearance that few have seen and lived to tell the tale.

“Mornin’ sunshine,” Jesse piped as he entered the room, “missed the new guy. Color me impressed, if I do say so myself.” Angela’s facial expression lacked it’s glowing luster and read make this quick. Jesse chuckled and propped himself against the kitchen island. “I think Winston almost gave the poor guy a conniption. Thought he was going to have a heart attack.” Angela didn’t respond. Instead, she took a sip from her cup and raised her eyebrows curiously. “Don’t think he took orders from higher-ups in his entire life. Looked more confused than a sheepdog rounding up raccoons.”

A restrained laugh escaped Angela’s lips as coffee bubbled in her face. She then wiped the corner of her mouth of the hazel liquid with the sleeve of her robe.

“Sounds like someone I know,” she teased.

“Hey now, you know I can take orders and follow them to the T. Don’t mean I like them.”

The mug’s edge met her lips again, and a devilish grin crept.

“Who says I was talking about you.” She took another sip smugly and shifted her weight onto one leg crossing her ankles. “But like how your Westerner’s saying goes:  _if the slipper fits_.”

Jesse cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. Ego wounded.

“Still a meticulous, conniving brat I see,” he sneered with an impish grin, “‘sides it’s more of a Southerner saying. Not all of North Americans know that phrase.” And to tend to his pride. “Also, it’s  _shoe_ , not slipper.”

Angela cocked an eyebrow. “And you’re still ludicrous cowboy with even more ludicrous sayings. Guess old habits die hard.”

The doctor placed her cup in the sink and slowly began to wash her dish. Hearing the water run in the background put Jesse into a trance as he looked up and traced the ceiling panel designs with precision. He noticed that there was crack and he should tell Törbjorn about it later.

“You know, you’re right though Angie,” he finally managed to say. The sound of running water hushed, and Jesse slipped his hands into his pockets. He then watched Angela dry her hands down to her elbows. Nimble and precise as always. “Never had a knack for following orders. Makes ya’ wonder why I responded to the recall knowing damn well if I returned all I would be doing is following orders.”

Angela made her way towards Jesse's side and plopped herself on the counter with a banana in hand. She took a bite.

“Maybe it’s because you wanted to protect the innocent and be a hero again,” she garbled between bites. Jesse went silent and cocked a disbelieving eyebrow as if the doctor said something utterly ridiculous. When she finished eating, she basketball shot the peel in a nearby trashcan. “Your sense of duty just itching for another fight.” She deepened her voice as a joke and elbowed his neck.

Jesse shoved her playfully and bit a laugh. “Yeah well, I can do that just as easily on my own. Don’t need no fancy group to help me.”

Angela placed an arm on the cowboy’s shoulder and ran a hand through his hair and began grooming him. Jesse allowed it and leaned back into her pampering touch.

“Oh, I know. Read about your recent activities in Hanamura.” Sarcasm was evident in her tone. “I’m surprised no one there recognized you with your bounty.” She pulled out a gray hair and showed it to Jesse who only scowled. “Visiting someone there?”

“What’s it to ya’?”

“Curiosity.”

Jesse chuckled to which Angela smiled. Just like old times.

“Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm ‘bout to kill it for you right now. No, I wasn’t visiting Genji. I just happened to be in the neighborhood, and I just happened to be there at the right place at the right time. Lady Luck always seemed to favor me.”

"That she did."

Angela finished her head scan and jumped off the counter landing perfectly on the pads of her feet as Jesse followed pushing himself off the island. They walked out the doors of the mess hall and down the hallway towards the coed quarters. Their walk was a comfortable silence neither caring for words, yet enjoying the other's company. They first arrived at Angela’s quarters.

“Hey Ange, gotta another hunch?” Jesse asked as the doctor’s door opened with a  _hiss_.

Angela looked over her shoulder in confusion. “A hunch about what?”

“As to why I responded to the recall. I honestly don’t know myself.”

The doctor pursed her lips, propping a shoulder on the archway of the door and cradled her arms.

“Well if I had to say why you responded to the recall, it’s probably for the same reason as myself. You came to find out why you returned.”

Jesse laughed dryly. “C’mon Ange, you know I don’t do so hot with that riddle talk.”

A warm but firm smile crept on her lips as if to reassure him. “I mean it, Jesse. It took me some time as well to think of why I responded. And like I said, Winston’s video did help me get me to Gibraltar, but it still wasn’t enough to convince me to stay. But…” She stood up straight eyes earnest. “When I stepped onto the docking pad, I felt it. My reason to stay. My purpose of restarting Overwatch.” She approached Jesse and brushed a pointed finger on his chest. “In here. I felt it in here.”

Angela looked directly into Jesse’s eyes and the cowboy almost flinched at the sincerity in them. The doctor then turned on her heel, and the door closed behind her.

“Don’t think too much about it, Jesse. I’m sure you’ll find your reason,” she spoke behind the closed door.

Jesse lifted a hand to where Angela’s finger pressed and felt the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat. He chuckled nearly out of skepticism at how heartfelt her answer was. It was too simple and clean. He clicked his tongue and shook his head in defeat knowing what she meant, but still struggling to understand it.

“Aw hell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know its been forever since I touched this story but I really hit a drywall. But I should be okay. Chapter updates won't be as fast as I'd like them to be, but I have the ball rolling. Majority of the reason why I take so long is that I write my chapters to be extra long so now I'm cutting back. Anyways, I digress. This chapter is just an introductory chapter to Lúcio and a relationship update between Angela and Jesse. To me, their relationship is strict on that of a sibling rivalry, but some love in between. Nothing romantic. Also, this is just preparation for the next chapter. Jesse and Hanzo will meet next chapter.


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